This is Monique.
She is our caregiver of the month for May 2018. We got her a Gas Card, who wouldn’t love a gas card!

Monique has been with Suburban Home Care since 2015. She’s worked with 2 of our veteran clients and works really hard. She always has a positive attitude, is always on time, and has positive feedback from our clients.

If you and your elderly family member haven’t talked about the danger that falls present for the elderly, now might be a good time to talk it out.

Elder Care in Downers Grove IL: Falls And Aging Adults

They Can Seriously Injure Her

The primary reason to ever avoid a fall is of course that it can cause a serious injury for your aging adult. She may not experience more than a bruise, but that is the least of the concerns a fall brings up. Your elderly family member could break a bone, experience a concussion, or even cut herself on something. With so much that could go wrong, avoiding a fall just makes sense. The worst part is that severe injuries might lead to a lengthy hospital stay or a stint in a rehabilitation facility.

They Can Make Her Afraid

Your senior might not be afraid of much right now. But after a fall, she might find that she is so nervous about experiencing another fall that she starts to second guess every single movement that she makes. This can be such a problem that she might actually experience another fall, simply because she’s so uncertain.

They Damage Her Independence

Depending on the results of your senior’s fall, she may find that she’s not as mobile as she used to be. If she’s injured too badly, she may not be able to stay at home until she’s healed. All of this means that your elderly family member may find that she’s not able to do what she used to do on her own any longer. It’s one thing to ask for help, but if she feels as if she doesn’t have a choice, that is far worse.

They Can Create a Vicious Cycle

Once your senior falls, she might have to spend some time recuperating. That might mean that she loses a bit of muscle tone and has to deal with other repercussions from the fall. She might also find herself becoming more nervous. By the time she’s healed enough to walk around again, she might find it difficult to keep her balance due to muscle loss, which might mean that she takes another fall. That one initial fall can set a vicious cycle into motion.

Having a solid plan in place to help prevent falls is a must. Work with your elderly family member’s doctor to determine what you can do at home to help minimize the risk of a fall. You might want to consider solutions such as doing more frequent safety checks and hiring elder care providers to be there when you can’t be.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elder Care in Downers Grove, IL, please contact the caring staff at Suburban Home Care today. Call (630) 964-9000.

This is Kenneth our local homeless veteran in town who came in looking for a job.

We got to sit down with him and he mentioned he was a veteran which was awesome because we work with u.s veterans and have great connections at Hines VA Hospital. Once we got in touch with a social worker at Hines VA hospital and they confirmed he was a Veteran. So the girls in the office took him to breakfast and drove him to the Hines VA hospital.

A month later he called us to thank us for helping him and that they helped him get a job and an apartment! Shout out to helping our Veterans!

In people with diabetes, men and women 75 or older have higher rates of seeking hospital care hypoglycemia. The thing is, you don’t have to have diabetes to have hypoglycemia. It can happen to anyone whose blood sugar levels become too low. Left untreated, the blood sugar levels can become so low that the person becomes unable to fix the problem. People with type 1 diabetes have a higher risk of developing severe hypoglycemia. The mild stages, however, are a risk for anyone.

Homecare in Darien IL: What is Hypoglycemia?

What are the Symptoms of Hypoglycemia?

In the mild stage, you may feel shaky and sweaty. You can feel jittery like you’ve had too much caffeine. You can feel lightheaded, hungry, and disoriented. As it worsens, you might become irritable and find your heartbeat speeds up or seems to skip beats. In the severe stage, you can have seizures or become unconscious.

What Causes Hypoglycemia?

For people with diabetes, hypoglycemia can happen when you take medications that increase insulin production. It often happens when you’re not balancing activities and diet with the insulin or medications you’re taking for diabetes.

You don’t have to have diabetes for hypoglycemia to occur. It can happen if you’re starving your body of carbs. Carbs convert to glucose in the body. If you’re not eating carbs, glucose levels can drop. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and not eating food can lead to lower glucose levels. Skipping meals can also cause low blood sugars.

When you’re ill and aren’t eating as much, hypoglycemia is common. If you have a stomach virus and can’t keep food down, it’s common for blood sugar levels to drop. That’s why it’s important to keep trying to eat, even if you’re only eating saltines.

Ways to Quickly Raise Blood Sugar Levels

-If you start to feel shaky and know you haven’t eaten for a while, it’s important to quickly boost blood sugar levels. If you’re diabetic, check your blood sugars and take the action your doctor has recommended. Glucose tablets can help a diabetic. If you don’t have diabetes, a small glass of juice or a handful of raisins will help.

-Seek a doctor’s care after that. You want to make sure your diabetes medications are working correctly. If you don’t have diabetes, you want to make sure that diabetes isn’t a possibility.

-Keep an eye on your parent. Seniors often struggle with diet. Joint pain makes it hard to hold a knife or stand at the stove for an extended period of time. If your parents focus on quick meals, such as canned soup or freezer meals, they may not be meeting their nutritional needs. Caregivers can help with meals. They can also watch for signs of hypoglycemia.

Caregivers come as often as your parent needs. They can help with more than meals, too. They can help with laundry, changing sheets, and scrubbing surfaces. Call a home care agency to get started.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Homecare in Darien, IL, please contact the caring staff at Suburban Home Care today. Call (630) 964-900.

Spring is finally here and that means longer days, sunshine, flowers, and more opportunities to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. For many people, however, it also means allergies. Allergy symptoms can be miserable, often mimicking a cold, and can last for weeks or even months.

Home Care Services in Clarendon Hills IL: Senior Allergies

As a family caregiver, it is important to realize that allergies can develop at any point in life. That means that even if you are senior has never experienced seasonal allergies before, they could be experiencing them now. If they have been showing symptoms that you think might be a cold, take some time to evaluate whether they could be allergies so that you can ensure they get the care and management that they need to cope with these symptoms and still be able to enjoy the spring season.

Some signs that your aging parent might be suffering from spring allergies include:

As opposed to a cold which creates the symptoms that impact the entire body, allergies predominantly impact the eyes, nose, and throat

Allergies do not cause a fever, so if your aging parent is suffering from a fever, they likely have a cold as opposed to allergies

Itching in the eyes and throat is a common symptom of seasonal allergies and generally does not occur in other issues such as a cold

Allergy symptoms tend to begin slowly and last for a long stretch of time, generally an entire season when the allergen is flourishing, such as when pollen is high

Body aches are not associated with allergies, but if your parent sneezes or coughs excessively, they may feel sore. Is important to talk to their doctor about any aching or soreness that they might feel so that you can identify the cause accurately

If your aging parent has been suffering from increased challenges and needs, your own schedule or abilities have changed and you are no longer able to give them the level of care at that you feel they need and deserve, or you simply feel that they would benefit from more diversified care, now may be the ideal time for you to start home care for them. The highly personalized services of an in-home senior care services provider are designed to specifically address your aging parents challenges and needs while also encouraging them to maintain as much independence as possible and to live a lifestyle that is active, engaged, and fulfilling.

These services can include transportation, companionship, meal preparation, assistance with personal care needs such as toileting and bathing, help with housekeeping tasks around the home, medication reminders to help them remain compliant, and more. As their family caregiver, that can help you feel more confident and secure that your loved one will have everything that they need to live their highest quality of life throughout their later years.

Hyperglycemia is just a fancy way of saying that blood sugar (also called blood glucose) is too high.

It happens when the body of a person with diabetes doesn’t have enough insulin or can’t use the insulin it has to handle the blood sugar and bring the levels down. Understanding what causes hyperglycemia and how to recognize the symptoms can help you to prevent serious problems associated with hyperglycemia.

Elder Care in Westchester IL: Hyperglycemia and the Elderly

Causes of Hyperglycemia

The digestive process involves the body breaking foods down into their usable components, including glucose. When the amount of glucose in the blood rises, the pancreas is triggered to send out insulin. The insulin acts on the body’s cells to allow them to take in glucose to use as fuel. However, some diabetics have trouble using the insulin their bodies make or their bodies don’t make enough insulin. As a result, too much glucose remains in the blood.

Some factors that might cause a diabetic to experience hyperglycemia are:

Not taking enough insulin or diabetes medication.

Using insulin that is expired.

Not performing an insulin injection properly.

Eating poorly.

Not exercising.

Being sick or having an infection.

Some medications, including steroids.

Having an injury or undergoing surgery.

Emotional stress.

Left untreated, hyperglycemia can lead to a number of complications, including:

Neuropathy.

Kidney damage.

Cardiovascular problems.

Cataracts.

Problems with feet, including sores that don’t heal and amputation.

Problems with bones and joints.

Oral infections.

Symptoms of Hyperglycemia

At first, there may be no symptoms of hyperglycemia. They may not show up until blood sugar levels are above 200. Even then, it can take days or weeks for symptoms to appear. That’s why it is important to monitor the blood sugar of diabetics closely. Some early signs of hyperglycemia are:

Urinating often.

Being very thirsty.

Having blurry vision.

Feeling fatigued.

Headaches.

If blood sugar levels aren’t brought back under control, later symptoms are:

Breath that smells like fruit.

Vomiting.

Nausea.

Feeling short of breath.

Confusion.

Abdominal pain.

Dry mouth.

Weakness.

Coma.

Elderly care can help older adults with diabetes to avoid hyperglycemia.

An elderly care provider can remind the senior to check their blood sugar and take medications. An elderly care provider can also prepare healthy meals that follow the suggested diet plan. If the older adult is reluctant to exercise, an elderly care provider can make being active more fun by going for walks with the person so that they have someone to talk to. Or, the elderly care provider can drive them to a fitness class where they can exercise with friends.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elder Care in Westchester, IL, please contact the caring staff at Suburban Home Care today. Call (630) 964-9000 or (708) 442-2200.

There’s no doubt that multiple sclerosis is a debilitating disease that eventually robs people of the ability to walk or care for themselves independently. Most people know that multiple sclerosis, or MS, strikes primarily at adults in their 20s and 30s. However, a small percentage of new cases occur in seniors over the age of 50. This late onset multiple sclerosis can be hard to diagnose, and it manifests much more quickly than in younger adults.

Senior Care in Hinsdale IL: Multiple Sclerosis in Seniors

Family caregivers with elderly relatives should take the time to learn more about late-onset multiple sclerosis and what it might take to care for an aging adult after diagnosis.

Q: What exactly is MS?

A: Multiple sclerosis damages the nerve cells in the body, blocking messages that are sent to the brain. This interruption of messages causes numerous symptoms in both young and older adults. Medical experts are not sure what causes MS and to date, there is no cure.

Q: Is MS common in elderly Americans?

A: MS is not a common disease in the elderly population, especially when compared to other age-related diseases. It typically manifests in adults between the ages of 20 and 40, but a small percentage of cases happen to people older than 50.

Q: What are the symptoms of MS in elderly adults?

A: The symptoms of MS often start out mild and worsen over the years. Common symptoms include fatigue, tingling and numbness, muscle weakness, vision problems, dizziness and tremors. Other symptoms include memory and cognitive issues, muscle spasms and chronic pain. Eventually, the elderly person will be unable to walk or stand.

Q: How is MS treated?

A: There is no cure for late-onset multiple sclerosis, but several different drugs have been developed to help treat the symptoms of the disease. As with many diseases, the earlier the patient is diagnosed, the more effective the treatments are. These drugs don’t cure the disease, but they can help alleviate some of the symptoms and often slow down the progression.

Q: What is the outlook for an elderly person diagnosed with MS?

A: When a younger adult is diagnosed, it can take years or even a decade for them to experience a significant decline. However, medical experts are discovering that for late-onset multiple sclerosis, the decline happens more quickly. Seniors can expect their ability to care for themselves independently to diminish and they will need help with the tasks of daily living. Many have family caregivers or hire senior care assistants to help with any tasks needed, from cleaning and cooking to grooming and hygiene.

Q: How can family caregivers help an elderly relative with MS?

A: Medical experts agree that staying as active as possible is one of the best ways to manage multiple sclerosis. Other helpful lifestyle tips include eating a healthy diet, reducing stress, getting adequate sleep and working closely with a neurologist that understands late-onset MS. They should seriously consider hiring a senior care assistant to enable their aging relative to live as independently as possible.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Senior Care in Hinsdale, IL, please contact the caring staff at Suburban Home Care today. Call (630) 964-9000.

Your senior may very much want to continue driving, but if she’s having some health issues, she may not be able to do so. Here are some of the bigger concerns that could stop your elderly family member from driving.

Being Physically Inactive

Elderly Care in Downers Grove IL: Should Mom Be Driving?

When your senior isn’t as physically active as she used to be, she can lose muscle tone and even experience a reduced range of motion. She may no longer have the strength to be able to handle the car, even if it includes features like power steering. If your senior can’t look over her shoulder, she can’t properly keep a lookout for safety issues, either. Starting an exercise program under the supervision of her doctor can help your elderly family member to regain some of what she’s lost, as long as she’s not experienced other issues.

Health Conditions that Are Out of Control

Some health conditions can take a huge toll on your senior and her body, even affecting her ability to drive safely. If she’s taking medications, some of the side effects of those medications can make driving difficult or even dangerous. Your elderly family member’s doctor is the first step in determining whether your elderly family member is still healthy enough to be able to drive. He or she may recommend in-home elderly care to help with errands, appointments, and getting to social activities.

Uncorrected Vision and Hearing Loss

If your elderly family member isn’t able to see well or to hear well, then driving is possibly going to be more difficult and it will definitely be more dangerous. Regular vision and hearing checks can help your elderly family member to spot issues before they become too much of a hindrance to her ability to drive. Your senior may also have specific issues, such as night blindness, that requires her to take some special precautions if she’s still driving.

Significant Memory Problems

Memory issues can be extremely problematic for your senior if she wants to continue to drive. She may forget where she’s going or become lost in formerly familiar surroundings, which is extremely dangerous for your senior. Talk with your senior’s doctor about any potential memory issues your senior is having to determine if the issues are significant enough to affect her ability to drive.

It may not be too late for your senior to continue driving if she’s interested in correcting what can be corrected. Otherwise, it might be a good idea to find alternatives to driving that help to keep your senior safe, such as hiring in-home elderly care companions to drive and seeking out transportation options in your area.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering in-home elderly care in Downers Grove, IL; please contact the caring staff at Suburban Home Care today. Call (630) 964-9000.

Exercise for elders is important for healthy aging. We’re usually not as active as we were at a younger age and our muscles are not as strong. Some form of exercise is crucial in order to strengthen muscles, improve mobility and overall health.

People often lose mobility as they age. In some cases this may be unavoidable to some degree. However, much of one’s mobility can be retained and restored through proper physical exercise. But many elderly individuals need extra encouragement to do it. You need to talk to your health care provider about any exercise program before starting a program.

Exercise for Elders Can be Simple

Exercise provides numerous health benefits and does not have to be complicated. Walking, riding a bike, peddling, hand exercises for the joints are just a few of the simple things that can provide benefits. You medical provider can tell you which type of exercise will most benefit you based on your particular situation.

Exercise for elderly persons may require a bit more thought if there are limiting conditions. The exercise chosen has to fit the individual. The type of exercise, the length of the exercise period, and the intensity needs to be matched up to the current state of health of an individual, the person’s physical ability.

Too often the word exercise is associated with intense workouts that are too difficult to do. Many people don’t want to work out because they feel that exercise has to be difficult.

The truth is, there are countless forms of exercise that can fit any fitness level. You can find the specific activity and the amount that fits your current level of ability and go from there. Talk to your doctor and see what he or she recommends. Even a small amount of exercise can improve your health.

Motivating the Elderly

It may be helpful to avoid using the word exercise entirely. You could instead talk about a certain amount of physical activity on a daily basis. This helps elderly adults to get past visions of difficult and possibly painful exercise routines, and to the gentler activity levels that are their true path to greater health.

Another aspect to emphasize is that it’s never too late to start reaping the benefits of physical activity. You can start at any point in your life even if you have not sought out purposeful physical activity before. The benefits of this activity can still be yours.

Exercise for elders can improve health, increase longevity, and contributes to a better quality of life. It must be done according to the health and abilities of the person, but its benefits can work wonders for absolutely anyone.

In-Home Care Options and How They Help

By Barbara Kate Repa, Caring.com Senior Editor

What it does

In-home care is the term that broadly defines the various types of care and services delivered by individuals or agencies to those with mobility limitations or other frailties that make it difficult for them to leave home.

Personal care assistants, who help with some chores and daily grooming

Live-in care providers, who ensure a constant monitoring presence

How it helps

In whatever capacity the extra care is needed — from periodic social visits to help with daily medication management to around-the-clock monitoring — in-home care can help accomplish the goal of allowing a person to stay at home rather than move to a facility. For many people, staying at home among their possessions and in a familiar community is a primal urge and plays a big role in assuring a good quality of life.

What it costs

In-home care ranges in cost from free help from volunteers who provide assistance with visits and chores to live-in care that can run several thousand dollars or more a month for constant monitoring.